


Just Breathe

by peppermintpotts



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Near Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 06:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17038775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermintpotts/pseuds/peppermintpotts
Summary: He’s coming down to his last few breaths of air. In a way its almost peaceful, like drifting off to sleep.





	Just Breathe

They float aimlessly through space, it’s beautiful and stressful at the same time. With Nebula’s help he’d been able to gather enough power jumpstart the Benetar to get them off Titan and a good distance from the planet, with the hope that maybe they'd be picked up. Nebula spoke of something called the Nova Corps, a galactic police force that would patrol this quadrant, but her mood soured when she recalled they had been decimated when Thanos destroyed Xandar so they had little hope of rescue from the Nova.

As they float on and on they search the ship for any power source. According to his traveling companion there is a talking fox that resides on the ship and he has a knack for making all kinds on interesting powered items and weapons. Tony's up for anything if it has a potential power source they can use. He pauses his search to stare out into space for a moment. Its vast and sort of empty all around them. They could float forever and never hit anything.

“Well I can check galactic hitchhiking off my bucket list.”

Nubula's head cocked to the side, puzzled.

“Its an expression on Earth. A bucket list is a list of things a person wants to do before they die.”

“Interesting.” She replies in the most deadpan way but the corners of her lips quirk up a bit. “Quill is - was from Terra, I imagine he would better understand your joke. Mantis would laugh, she always laughs, it's a good sound.” A fond smile and a faraway look pass over her face for just a moment.

Tony regards her for a moment before speaking “I'm sorry.”

“You haven't done anything.” Nebula looks up from the box in her hand. This human is quite perplexing.

“They meant something to you. I'm sorry that they were taken away.”

“He killed my sister. She loved me, she may be the only person who ever has. If I get the chance I will kill him.”

Tony nods “I hope I'm around to see it.” He knows he won’t be.

“You lost the boy, was he your son?”

“He felt like one.”

They turn back to their respective searches.

_ _ _

Tony slumps back against the wall. One final message to Pepper and Rhodes and it took everything in him not to sob in his hands. As if that he had the energy for it. Food and water ran out a week ago and oxygen will be gone in a few moments.

He’s coming down to his last few breaths of air. In a way its almost peaceful, like drifting off to sleep. He stopped shivering a while ago, whatever cold has overtaken the ship he can no longer feel it. By now the pains consistent with hunger are like a distant dream, going without water was harder but that won’t matter in a bit. There were a few times he drifted off thinking that was the end but his brain kept jump-starting his body back into awareness.

Nebula sits beside him, one hand clutched firmly around his, she smiles as best she can given the dire circumstances. He’s already pleaded with her to throw his body into space, to let him become part of the stars that had once held such a fascination but she refused. No matter how much he pushed, no matter how much he pleaded that she not cart his body around as her own brand of punishment for outlasting him, she refused.

“You're the only friend I have left.

_Were they friends? Yes. Friends._

He smiled and she smiled back.

“You should shut down for a bit, you don't have to watch me go.”

Nebula began to refuse and all he had the strength to do was squeeze her hand. “That's not fair. I don't want you to see that.”

She nods, turning her face away from him. He can hear the machinery beneath her skin power down. Tony holds her hand tight. He's scared. Where will he go? Will his Mom be there?

Tony's take last breath of air and he's fade away…

The ship jerk as its struck something. Bright light that fills the ship’s cabin registers only because his brain clings to life. Then a face just appears in front if his, hovering for moment. Rhodey cradles his face, his lips are moving but there's no sound. His vision is fuzzy, maybe this heaven, not that Tony had any grand notions about heaven or hell. Of course, Rhodey is here, good and noble Rhodey that put up with him all the years they'd been friends.

_Friends. Yes, friends._

He wants to tell him that he's sorry. He failed, all his preparation and Thanos still wiped them all out.

Rhodey taps his cheek gently, his eyes a mix of tired and worried.

He's being lifted or maybe that's just the feel of leaving his body. The warmth of Nebula’s hand is gone. Who is cradling him like this? Is Rhodey dead too. Was he waiting for him? Where's Pepper? Where's Happy? Will he see Peter again?

Pepper's face appears, tucked into a clear-faced helmet like the one Rhodey is wearing, hovering over him. She is speaking but not to him, someone he can't see. Something fits over his face, and something...no not something…oxygen fills his lungs.

Its too much, his chest aches, his lungs fill so fast it burns and his heart beats so fast busting back to life. Another face appears, it's Carol. This must be heaven, they lost Danvers so long ago, Rhodey never got over her. And why is she glowing like a comet in the night sky? Pepper is saying something but Tony still can't hear her. There's a loud ringing in his ears and he’s suddenly warm. It’s all happening so fast and it triggers something in him. His brain commands his hands to remove whatever is on his face but his body is sluggish to react.

"Breathe, Tony. Just breathe." It's Steve's voice that cuts through everything. Steve pretty and perfect face hovers over his own _Did Thanos get Steve too, were they all gone?_ Steve's voice vibrates through him and the hand that's cradles the back of his head feels like a small comfort. He looks down to where his hand is clasped in Carol’s. She’s not glowing anymore but her hand is and that glow is radiating up his arm. Were her hands always that big or did he just shrink while in space? Too much is coming in at once and his head is on fire.

"Its okay, Tones. We got you." Rhodey says right before Tony lets the blissful dark come.

_Yes, they have me. Family._


End file.
